{"id":827031,"date":"2026-07-27T13:41:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T13:41:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/827031\/"},"modified":"2026-07-27T13:41:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T13:41:21","slug":"the-odyssey-is-just-the-latest-evolution-in-matt-damons-midlife-fitness-journey-heres-how-he-got-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/827031\/","title":{"rendered":"The Odyssey is just the latest evolution in Matt Damon\u2019s midlife fitness journey \u2013\u00a0here\u2019s how he got there"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matt Damon is 55. As the protagonist in Christopher Nolan\u2019s all-conquering adaptation<\/a> of Homer\u2019s Odyssey, his strong, lean physique is not that of a typical 50-something. But this aesthetic is \u201cmerely a side effect of really good training<\/a>,\u201d his long-time trainer Jason Walsh tells me. What\u2019s more impressive, he argues, are the signs of fitness we can\u2019t see.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people start training and they just work out,\u201d says Rise311<\/a> founder Walsh. \u201cThey want trainers to make them sore and make them sweat, then at the end they go, \u2018Wow, that was a great workout\u2019. And that\u2019s not the worst thing. But I want my clients to be able to train like an athlete; to build a body that can go where they want it to go.\u201d <\/p>\n

Success leaves clues, and Walsh\u2019s client list is a dead giveaway, reading like the Hollywood walk of fame: Alison Brie, Jake Gyllenhaal, Pedro Pascal, Chappell Roan, Taron Egerton and many more. Walsh himself is, at 50, in enviable shape. His approach to movement is accessible and he says that better health and fitness is surprisingly simple to achieve. <\/p>\n

The evolution of Matt Damon: a fine body of work <\/p>\n

\u201cI love Matt Damon so much,\u201d says Walsh. \u201cHe\u2019s all over the news right now, and rightfully so \u2013The Odyssey is an incredible film by an incredible director. He\u2019s 55 years old and he looks fantastic. But there\u2019s a bigger story here than just [his physique in] The Odyssey.\u201d <\/p>\n

When the pair started working together in 2012, an old baseball injury plagued Damon\u2019s shoulder, and his back hurt. He was also holding weight from his role in The Informant, for which a Burger King-heavy diet had raised his body fat levels to the point his family \u2013 affectionately \u2013 gave him the nickname \u201cFatty Matty\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cAt that time, he was disenchanted and upset because he had worked out with a dozen different trainers, but at fortysomething years old he was in shambles,\u201d Walsh says. \u201cThese people were trying to impress him. They would promise to get him from nought to 60 faster than anybody else, and they made him do things that his body wasn’t ready for.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe couldn’t play with his kids because his back hurt so much. Any time he bent over, he would have back spasms. He grew up in Boston, played baseball, screwed up his shoulder, and he was p***ed off. \u201d <\/p>\n

Read more: The Odyssey \u2018boycott\u2019 fails to dent Christopher Nolan film\u2019s enormous box office<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AA long journey: Odysseus\u2019s life was wracked with pain \u2013 thankfully Walsh helped Damon be free of his (Universal Pictures)<\/p>\n

Walsh knew what he had to do. He asked Damon to trust him for a two-week trial period, then subtly started remedying his dodgy shoulder alongside their wider training. <\/p>\n

At the end of the two weeks, he tossed Damon an American football. To the actor\u2019s surprise, he instinctively caught it \u2013 pain-free. The pair have worked together since. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think, from that, he understood that I knew what I was talking about,\u201d Walsh says. \u201cThen I applied everything I knew to fixing his back. Once I did that, he bought in 100 per cent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took him from Fatty Matty to incredible shape for Elysium [an image of an abs-laden Damon did the rounds at the time of the 2013 film\u2019s release]. But what I\u2019m most proud of is that I gave him a new lease of life in a way in which he can live pain-free.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was strong. He looked good. And he had built an amazing foundation of fitness so he could go anywhere he wanted to go. This is the new norm for him. We set him on a path to better fitness for life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Odyssey posed a whole new challenge. <\/p>\n

\u201c[Odysseus was] an extremely daunting and physical role to take on,\u201d says Walsh. \u201cIf he didn\u2019t have that base and that evolution of his fitness, he would probably have got hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

An actor, like an athlete, cannot do their best work while injured. Staying healthy amid a demanding filming schedule was paramount for Damon. And, though he has joked about the \u201cmiddle-aged\u201d cast of the film suffering back pain from running along stone streets in sandals all day<\/a>, his foundational levels of fitness allowed him to emerge largely unscathed. <\/p>\n

Read more: You don\u2019t need to lift weights for strength training \u2013 these exercises count too<\/a><\/p>\n

\"StraightStraight shooter: Damon\u2019s trainer provides some honest improvements anyone can make (Universal Pictures)<\/p>\n

How to get in shape in your 50s, according to Matt Damon\u2019s trainer Jason Walsh<\/p>\n

\u201cAt 50, I\u2019m 220lb, I have 115lb of lean muscle, I\u2019m around 10 per cent body fat, and I maintain that,\u201d says Walsh. <\/p>\n

His next statement is surprising: \u201cIt\u2019s not that hard to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not as complicated and as expensive as you think it has to be… Before GLP-1s, jabs and shortcuts, we still changed bodies. People weren\u2019t always out of shape.\u201d<\/p>\n

To improve your health, fitness and physique, Walsh recommends adopting the framework below. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is going to be the greatest investment you will ever make in yourself, because it spans every aspect of your life,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n

Read more: What scholars think about Christopher Nolan\u2019s adaptation of The Odyssey<\/a><\/p>\n

\"HardHard day\u2019s work: \u2018The Odyssey\u2019 was physically demanding for all its actors \u2013 Damon\u2019s fitness undoubtedly helped him through (Universal Pictures)<\/p>\n

Stop scrolling social media <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a lot of noise on social media and it\u2019s confusing people,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen people are confused, they buy things they don\u2019t need \u2013 that\u2019s the game plan, and it works.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the same reason, Walsh has ditched all fitness trackers. Elite athletes might benefit from the deep insights on offer, but for regular folks he believes this influx of information is surplus to requirements. <\/p>\n

He takes a similar attitude to the health podcasters and biohacking trends currently populating the internet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI despise the whole biohack era,\u201d he says, pointing out that some people use their doctor\u2019s badge to preach health tips with authority, turning a tidy profit as a result. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think there are a lot of things inhibiting people\u2019s hormones, and we can get really detailed into blood work and all that kind of stuff,\u201d Walsh continues. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut what\u2019s the most common prescription from doctors? You work out, you get enough sleep and you pay attention to your diet. That\u2019s the biggest biohack.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is science, but it\u2019s not rocket science, and it\u2019s not as complicated as some people are making it out to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: I\u2019m a Greek classical drama expert. How faithful is Christopher Nolan\u2019s The Odyssey to the poem?<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Walsh:Walsh: \u2018Before GLP-1s, jabs and shortcuts, we still changed bodies. People weren\u2019t always out of shape\u2019 (Universal Pictures)<\/p>\n

Commit to daily movement <\/p>\n

While training Jake Gyllenhaal this week, the actor asked Walsh if he could share any pearls of fitness wisdom with his driver, who was keen to get in shape. Walsh gave him one to prioritise over all others.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems so difficult, but the easiest thing you can possibly do is just to get out and move<\/a>,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt has to be a daily commitment \u2013 you\u2019re going to have to give up some of your existing bad habits. If you’re busy with kids and family and work, it\u2019s going to be difficult, but [regular movement] has to be the common denominator.<\/p>\n

\u201cStart with the low-hanging fruit, which is getting yourself out there and walking. I know there are people who are for and against 10,000 steps, but it\u2019s not a bad baseline. Just get out there and move; bike, swim, do recreational sports, spend time outside, have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is one of the simplest ways to up your metabolism, maintain a good body fat percentage and build a solid foundation of heart health, he says. It\u2019s also more accessible than trying to adopt a perfect fitness routine right away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you overload the brain, it\u2019s going to revolt and push back. Don\u2019t try to do everything at once, just move for a few weeks, then add a little bit of evolution over time \u2013 gradually adopt one or two more healthy behaviours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: A personal trainer set out to learn everything he could about fat loss \u2013 this was his most important finding<\/a><\/p>\n

\"LeaderLeader of the pack: Walsh has been training Damon for more than a decade, establishing an impressive baseline of fitness (Getty)<\/p>\n

Tune in to what you are eating <\/p>\n

Movement is one side of the fitness equation. Diet is the other major factor to consider. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are things you can do to help you not feel as hungry, then you can manipulate your diet to get the body composition you are looking for \u2013 that\u2019s what we do with actors,\u201d Walsh says. \u201cDiet is also a big part of the recovery process.\u201d<\/p>\n

He recommends beginners avoid obsessing over their food. But, he adds, there does need to be some level of awareness around your activity levels and what you\u2019re eating.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can give people some broad-stroke ideas to apply,\u201d says Walsh. \u201cIf you can adhere to these, they will become habitual. When you develop healthy habits, and you do them consistently over a period of time, you won’t even realise you are making progress, but people are going to start looking at you and going, \u2018Wow, you look great! What’s going on? What did you do?\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are these broad strokes? Prioritising fibre as a way to help you feel fuller for longer is one tip that crops up during our conversation. Foods such as oats, fruits and vegetables are all recommended. <\/p>\n

\u201cI’m more plant-based than I am animal-based, and I think there’s a lot of benefit to that,\u201d Walsh adds. \u201cI have a family history of high cholesterol and heart disease, and it helped me clean up a cholesterol issue I was having. <\/p>\n

\u201c…I think it\u2019s important to find a better balance between plants versus animal-based foods for overall health. You can get a perfect protein from plant-based foods, and that\u2019s something that needs to be rewired [in people\u2019s minds].<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t think a lot of people eat their fruits and vegetables, and that’s something I advocate for my clients as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: The everyday health hacks cardiologists use to reduce their risk of heart disease<\/a><\/p>\n

Strengthen your body <\/p>\n

Off the back of playing Evil-Lyn in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe earlier this year, Alison Brie shared some of her go-to exercises in a series of videos. <\/p>\n

Walsh pushed back. \u201cWe\u2019re going to do the meat and potatoes and show people that women can lift heavy weights.\u201d<\/p>\n

She demonstrated pull-ups on gymnastic rings with 20kg hanging from her waist, heavy glute bridges and shoulder presses. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor the average person, it doesn\u2019t need to be that complicated,\u201d Walsh says. \u201cDo calisthenics<\/a> \u2013 bodyweight exercises. You don’t have to buy loads of equipment.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cStart with a plank, then progress to push-ups, then lateral planks, then some sort of rotational pull-through. Next, we can learn how to squat and lunge \u2013 crawling is a big deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you put a baby on their back, a few weeks later you will go up to the crib and notice they\u2019ve learned to flip over. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese are the types of tools I teach people; learning these fundamental movements, and learning how to control their hips, rotate, and load the spine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI take people all the way back to rolling, falling, bear crawls \u2013 primitive movements that you can do at home.\u201d <\/p>\n

Read more: There\u2019s a new golden rule for strength training \u2013 expert coaches reveal everything you need to know<\/a><\/p>\n

\"MattMatt Damon in Christopher Nolan\u2019s The Odyssey (Universal Pictures)<\/p>\n

Keep track of your hormones<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can achieve [everyday athleticism] in your forties, fifties and sixties,\u201d says Walsh. \u201cBut I think, when you get into your 50s and 60s, you\u2019re really fighting biology.\u201d<\/p>\n

For this demographic, he says there is value in getting regular blood tests. <\/p>\n

\u201cBlood work, to see what\u2019s going on inside you chemically, is an incredible ability,\u201d he explains. \u201cNot everyone has access to that, not everyone can afford it, but I\u2019m hoping at some point there will be a company that can offer this at a price that makes sense for people, because it\u2019s important to see how your hormone levels are.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your hormones aren\u2019t in a good place, you\u2019re really going to spin your wheels in the gym. I think we see that a lot, with people going to the gym for a few weeks, pushing hard and not getting the results they\u2019re being promised.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: Three mistakes nutritionists want you to stop making with your meals<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Matt Damon is 55. As the protagonist in Christopher Nolan\u2019s all-conquering adaptation of Homer\u2019s Odyssey, his strong, lean…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":825294,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[64,63,30183,538,137,30185],"class_list":["post-827031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-bestof","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-topix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=827031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827031\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/825294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=827031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=827031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=827031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}